


Chocolate

by aqonoluna



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Needs a Hug, Akechi Goro is Bad at Feelings, Anniversary, Dating, Domestic Fluff, February 2 (Persona 5), Fluff, Gift Giving, M/M, POV Akechi Goro, Persona 5 References, Persona 5: The Royal, Post-Canon, Post-Persona 5, SoftGoroWinter2021, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29166501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aqonoluna/pseuds/aqonoluna
Summary: “I love you so much, honeycomb,” he says (and Goro swears to god he is going to have a heart attack if Ren doesn’t stop with the pet names). “It’s okay that it didn’t turn out right. It’s the thought that counts.”—Goro tries making chocolates for Ren for their anniversary.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 20
Kudos: 105





	Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

> For Soft Goro Winter!
> 
> Day 3: **Cooking** and **Sweets**

Goro has never made chocolates before.

As a matter of fact, besides making almost exclusively instant ramen (and sometimes a microwaveable meal or two when he needs to change things up) in his kitchen, Goro doesn’t use the room for much more than to point and say: _“…and that right there is the kitchen.”_

Today, though, Goro is putting the full gambit of his kitchen and what he can actually do in it to the test. 

He has decided that he wants to try doing something ambitious and make homemade chocolate for Ren for their one year dating anniversary. It’s not something he has ever done before, of course, but he knows how his boyfriend feels about chocolates — and he at least wants to try.

( …and succeed.)

The timing is perfect, too, considering this is one of the few days he actually has _off_ from work.

With Ren at work for a couple more hours (because unfortunately he was usable to get the day off like Goro did), he’s decided now is the best time to work on this surprise, so that his boyfriend will be able to come home to it at the end of the day.

It can’t possibly be that hard, he decides.

Goro has watched more YouTube videos on making chocolates than he can count over the last few days, so he really feels like he’s prepared to give this a try — and hopefully do it well.

(He can’t fail at this. That isn’t an option.)

After all, if a video titled _Chocolate Making for Beginners_ (by someone with a username he rolled his eyes so hard at he almost hurt himself) can make it look so easy, then that has to mean it is.

…Right?

The recipe he’s following _promises_ that it’s _totally impossible_ to “stuff-up” (which is an annoying way of saying “mess up,” so why can’t the author just say that?) and that “even a child can do it.”

So…

…it better be easy.

Clearing his throat, he looks down at all of the ingredients he has before for him. 

_Cocoa powder, melting chocolates_ (which is kind of ironic in his opinion), _butter, sugar, milk, flour, and some water._

Then he looks over to the recipe he has pulled up on a tablet sitting against a book he’s using to prop it up at an angle. It promises a few simple steps and no time at all to do this.

_Stop stalling._

_Just do it._

Goro pulls in a deep breath through his nose and lets it out slowly through pursed lips. It’s now or never, he decides. Do this now or not at all.

_He’s just so afraid to fail._

…but he has to do this; he _wants_ to do this — for Ren, who deserves everything; who deserves so much more than he knows how to give him.

That last big is enough to make him jump into the process head first, forcing his mind to clear free of all thoughts except getting this done and doing this for Ren and making his boyfriend happy.

…because even if he doesn’t know how to show it or say it, that is _legitimately_ all he wants.

•••

Goro is about to scream.

It may not seem like it, because he’s eerily good at keeping a straight face, but he’s about ready to shove everything off the counter, bury his face in his hands, and scream.

This can’t be happening and he genuinely refuses to believe that is.

_There is no way he’s fucking this up!_

On the kitchen table behind him are his literal _dozens_ of failed chocolates-making attempts. Ranging from never setting up to being too sweet or too bitter, there is a glaring issue with every single one of the batches that he’s ditched on the table.

…and he’s about ready to lose his mind.

He has no idea how many times he’s tried doing this.

The worst part is, Goro has no idea what time it is because he hasn’t taken even a second to look at the clock since he started the process of making these chocolates.

When he does look, he immediately goes into full on panic mode because it’s already 4:30 in the evening, which means Ren is going to be back—

_“Honey, I’m home!”_

Fuck.

Ren is going to be back _now…_ apparently.

Goro takes a moment to close his eyes and gather his bearings. 

With his eyes closed, he grips the edge of the counter and takes a moment to imagine a relaxing meadow (or whatever nonsense his therapist said to do), taking a breath in; _one, two, three, four…_ and then letting that same breath out; _five, six, seven, eight…_

It’s a simple little trick, but it does enough to calm his nerves before he goes out into the entry hall to greet his boyfriend with a bright smile.

“Happy anniversary, Goro!” Ren says with a bright grin, throwing his arms around him for a moment when he got close enough.

“I have another gift for you, but here…”

What Ren hands Goro (after giving him a kiss that lasts for not nearly long enough) is a massive, and _very_ _gorgeous,_ bouquet of cut red roses. 

He doesn’t take the time to count them all, but there has to be at least twenty-four in it, if not even more.

It’s _huge!_

On top of that, they’re wrapped up in black (his favorite color) tissue paper with a burgundy (his second favorite color) string tied around the stems.

—and of course there’s a note.

“Read it!” Ren says excitedly, clasping his hands behind his back and standing up straight like Futaba does. “I wrote it myself. Er… well, the florist wrote it. I told her what to write.”

Goro can’t help but smile.

“Of course,” he murmurs. “That is how it works, isn’t it?”

Readjusting the bouquet so they’re resting on his right forearm, he uses his left hand to unfold the folded index card with a small, handwritten note.

> _2/2_
> 
> _Being in love with you is the only thing I’ve ever truly been sure of in my entire life.  
> _
> 
> _I want nothing more than to spend the rest of it with you._
> 
> _Happy Anniversary, Goro_
> 
> _Ren_

Goro bites his lip lightly, if only to stop it from quivering, but unfortunately there’s nothing he can do about the tears that are collecting at the corners of his eyes and falling down his cheeks.

_Damn it, Ren._

“Thank you, my dove,” he whispers, looking up and kissing Ren’s forehead.

Ren absolutely lights up at the pet name, as if it’s all he needs in way of a gift — and Goro doesn’t know if that makes him want to cry or not.

“Of course, Prince Charming. I love you,” he says, and then immediately changes the subject before Goro can respond to the pet name (verbally; he definitely did get choked up over it almost immediately).

“So… Hey! What smells so good? Are you making sweets? Something smells like sugar in there.”

Oh.

Right.

Goro almost forgot about the chocolate he had been making; had almost forgotten about the dozens of mistakes laid askew over the table.

“I—”

Ren cuts Goro off by heading to the kitchen without waiting for a response. It takes Goro an embarrassingly long time to collect himself after being called _Prince Charming_ before he hurries after his boyfriend into the kitchen.

“Ren, wait! I can—!”

Goro drops the hand he had been holding out in some futile attempt to stop and catch Ren from seeing the disaster in the kitchen, at the dining room table.

He’s seen it.

“…explain. I can explain,” he says under his breath, quietly, dropping his head to look at the ground, distantly. “I—”

“…You made chocolates for me?” 

Ren’s voice is quieter than usual as he turns to look at Goro, who’s holding his head in shame, like he’s a child being reprimanded for doing something wrong.

…and that just won’t do.

Goro did absolutely _nothing_ wrong here.

“I _tried_ to make chocolates for you,” he says as Ren crosses the room and lifts up his chin so Goro is looking at him (kind of… he’s still trying to look at the floor). “I _tried_ but it didn’t work because I— The recipe said it’d be easy, but, I…”

“Honey,” Ren says gently, wrapping both of his arms around Goro’s torso (after gingerly taking the flowers and putting them on the table), pressing their foreheads very lightly together. 

When he continues speaking, his breath is warm, dancing across Goro’s lips.

It gives him goosebumps.

“You’re so sweet. Thank you so much.”

“For what?” Goro asks, sounding genuinely confused. He pulls back and looks up at Ren with a frown, his eyebrows knit together.

“I _messed it up._ It was supposed to be easy and I can’t cook even to do something as easy as—”

Ren doesn’t let Goro finish.

“I love you so much, honeycomb,” he says (and Goro swears to god he is going to have a heart attack if Ren doesn’t stop with the pet names). “It’s okay that it didn’t turn out right. It’s the thought that counts.”

“Thought doesn’t give you a physical gift,” Goro counters. “You gave me flowers — and you said you have another gift! I have… a bunch of failures.”

Ren frowns — and then takes a minute to think before he has an idea that makes him smile brightly. 

Clearing his throat, he steps away from his boyfriend, smiling even brighter as Goro follows him with his eyes, intrigue and confusion in his eyes.

At least he isn’t looking at the floor like a sad puppy anymore.

“What’re you smiling about, Ren?”

“You could make… Oh, what did you call it that one time? Eggs with Toast Soldiers? That thing you said your mom used to make for you! You already know how to make soft boil eggs for ramen — and toast is just putting bread in the toaster oven, and you said you’d make it for me sometime, so—”

Ren cuts off to gasp, his bright grin going so bright it practically radiated the room and split his face in half.

“No! Wait! You called it _Eggies_ and—”

“Don’t you _dare_ finish that sentence,” Goro warns, his cheeks warming up to a bright, strawberry red. “I will make you whatever the hell you want, but don’t you _dare_ finish that sentence, Ren.”

Ren’s grin is shit-eating.

“I’ll go change into my other gift for you,” he says with a wiggle is his eyebrows, turning on his heels to leave the kitchen.

“Let me know if you need any help with—”

“I will, but I think I got this. I don’t—”

“—your _eggies_ and _Featherman.”_

“Ren!” Goro goes an even brighter shade of red (or maybe it’s darker). “I told you not to finish that—!”

Ren laughs as he runs off from the kitchen and heads down the hallway to their bedroom where Goro can hear the door open — then immediately close again.

“—sentence.”

Goro sighs to himself and rolls his eyes.

He can’t seem to shake the smile he has on his face as he turns to the refrigerator to get what he needs for Ren’s requested meal.

At least he can do this.

“Bastard,” he murmurs lovingly.


End file.
